Triathlon Training Camp Packing List: Must-Have Gear and Essentials
Packing for a training camp is a real art. You must balance your luggage's weight allowance and space with the things you need to take with you and those nice-to-haves. In this article, we look at what you should think about taking with you and some top things to pack, even though it may seem a little extravagant or unnecessary!
For many people, what to bring on a training camp is one of the big questions they need to answer. For most people, a comprehensive triathlon kit list pack is suitable for people travelling abroad on training camps or going away to race. Many of the same items will still count even though you aren’t racing.
First up, should I bring my own bike or rent?
For many triathletes, the big question is whether to bring their bike or rent one. This is a personal question; the answer will depend on the individual. However, make sure you pack all the parts of your bike with you. We have often had athletes forget the pedals or other necessary screws or bolts for their bikes. If hiring a bike, ensure you know exactly what is being rented to you and if you need to get extra things. And if you are hiring, it is even easier to forget some of those other important things, like bike shoes, bike helmets, or even pedals, as often hire bikes come without pedals.
General multisport training Items
You will need all the sport-specific items. For example, you will need swimming goggles, a costume and a swim cap (brighter for open water). Some European centres have specific rules about wearing tight or baggy swimming costumes (men), and often, they expect you to walk from the changing rooms to the poolside in flip-flops.
You will also want to look and see if your camp will do open water swimming and if you will also need a wetsuit and tow float to swim. For most training camps, you will need a wetsuit if there is open water swimming, as it is unusual for the water to be warm enough to do coaching or open water sessions in the open water without getting cold.
We have already mentioned the bike or the rented bike, which you will need to ensure you have everything for it. Make sure you have your bike helmet. Your bike shoes and sunglasses. The other question we often get asked about bikes is if you should bring your road bike or your time trial bike.
“The other question we often get asked about bikes is if you should bring your road bike or your time trial bike.”
Some people only have one bike, and this is not a problem! For those who do have two bikes, it can be down to personal choice, or it may also be up to the camp itself. Some cycling-specific camps do not allow athletes to have bikes with aero bars and ride in the group. At the same time, other more triathlon-specific camps are happy for athletes to bring their race bikes. However, the usual group etiquette is that no aero bars should be used when in the peloton; you can use them at the front or if doing individual efforts. If you are taking your racing bike rather than your winter bike, make sure it has suitable gearing for the location that you are going. Many training camp locations are in fantastic, stunning, but hilly places. Therefore, you should ensure that you have the gears to get up the climbs. This might mean you must take your bike quickly to the bike shop for an easier cassette!
Regardless of the bike type you are taking, it is crucial to ensure it is in good working order. If it is your winter bike, make sure it is serviced and clean because that will make the packing easier and keep your hands and other kit items cleaner. Also, the experience on the camp is a lot better as well if your bike is clean and noiseless. If it is your racing bike, you may not have ridden it since the last race season, or it has been sat on the turbo trainer, so you want to make sure it is ready to go. Depending on your bike mechanic competency, you may do this on your own or send it to a bike shop. We recommend you do this about a month or so beforehand. So, any changes have time to bed in. Also, check your tyres are ready for a new season. Again, change them early if you need to, not last minute.
Running is usually much more straightforward on a training camp, so you must ensure you have your trainers, and that’s about it! However, you might look at the planned training sessions and decide if you want to take your running flats, track shoes or trail shoes for the camp, depending on the surfaces you will be running on.
Other kit items to pack
Now we have covered the basics: the clothes and items that will get you to the different sessions; it is worth thinking about what you will bring to make you comfortable.
These other items aren’t necessary but will make a difference to your overall experience. It is essential to check the weather a few days before you go on a training camp. We always choose locations with better weather in the UK (most of the time), but training and camp locations are still susceptible to weather fronts and changeable climates. This can be especially true when going to more mountainous regions or coastal areas where the weather can change quickly throughout the day. Therefore, we recommend you always pack a complete range of stuff that keeps you dry and warm, no matter the conditions. We also suggest you pack stuff to keep you cool, no matter the conditions!
You can save space and luggage allowance weight by choosing very versatile items. Additionally, you want to select items you could easily pack in your cycle jersey pockets on the bike or a small backpack for the run. You also want to consider items you can wear to warm up or wear after sessions. Even some of the sunny coastal locations in Europe still have cold seas, so you need items that can keep you warm after being cold in the open water environment. Finally, things like a jacket or a coat are perfect for travelling to the airport from the colder UK or other locations and sometimes in the evenings. Sitting outside and having a drink or dinner is often nice enough in the early evening. You might have an extra layer or two for a little bit later once the sun has gone down. For the bike, we recommend taking base layers, which can be worn under jerseys and take very little space up; a gillet and arm warmers are a great combination. Sometimes, it’s even worth taking a set of gloves just because of the temperature differences, especially dropping down long descents. We would always recommend bringing a waterproof or a full jacket just in case. You are far better to be dry and warm than wishing you had brought it. This can be particularly important in high mountainous regions, where the weather and thunderstorms can change suddenly almost within a few minutes.
For running you might also consider bringing with you. You may want a running backpack to wear and take extra nutrition if you do longer runs or extra layers.
Other equipment for sessions
You may also want to consider taking other helpful kit items for your sessions. Some training camps will have access to swimming toys – cut kickboards, floats, paddles, etc.; others will not. You may have certain items that really work for you. This is worth bringing them regardless of what the location has. The same is true for physio or recovery items. If you have your favourite foam roller or other item, you may bring that with you because you can manage yourself while away. We always recommend packing a small rucksack to carry everything and possibly a bike lock. This means you can nip around the town or keep all your stuff together more efficiently.
Sports nutrition and fuelling
Some training camps will have access to sports nutrition or can take you to local shops or suppliers offering nutrition. However, this may not be the type of nutrition you are accustomed to. It is nearly always best to be self-sufficient in this area: bring what you need to make you fuelled and comfortable. As a general rule of thumb, it is wise to plan to bring one drink (electrolyte and energy) for every hour of exercise planned. You will also want to bring bars or gels to provide additional fuel, which can act as snacks. Without overly wishing to simplify the science of sports nutrition, this approach should give you enough options to ensure you have plenty of fuel to get you through the training week. Going hungry or not fuelling through the sessions on a training camp can be a straightforward way to get overly tired or possibly even injured. So, you must remain hydrated and fuelled throughout the camp. You should aim to bring your water bottles to ensure you can put them on your bike or in your sports bag or running bag throughout.
Recovery Equipment
Some camps may have options for recovery areas with compression boots or socks and all sorts; others won’t have anything at all. Some camp locations will have access to gyms where you can use their strength and conditioning suite to do rehab work; others won’t. We suggest you bring a few bits and pieces with you, like a foam roller or other recovery tools like a massage gun to keep you loose and ready to do the training sessions. Additionally, it is worth looking to see if there is a physio available on the training camp as they will be able to help you if you do get into any real difficulty or have any particular niggles or massages that need to be done. A training camp is an excellent opportunity to do more training and also more recovery. Therefore, doing and taking your own recovery products will help keep you ready to go. You may also want to take small things like bands to help with your activations and warm-ups before you go to the sessions. If you know you have a particular injury or niggle that needs to be addressed, these can be an effective way of getting your body ready to do the different sports before the sessions start.
Anything else?
Finally, it’s always worth ensuring you have the other things you might need for a regular holiday. We always recommend athletes. Pack a small first aid kit with things that they need which aren’t usually allowed to be prescribed by First Aiders. For example, you might want to bring your paracetamol, antihistamines, antiseptics, creams, etc. Hopefully, this is nothing sinister, but it could be helpful – ensure you have it. Things like suncream, aftersun, and other specifics you might need when on holiday or a no-brainer to pack in your bag. One of the top things we also recommend is a plug extension with multiple sockets and one plug adapter for the location where they are going. This means that they can charge all their devices without needing to have many plug adapters. Finally, think about packing some items for the holiday part of the camp—regular clothes for going to a restaurant in the evening or sitting around the pool. Going to the bar may be more appropriate than Wearing just your tri-suit!
Philip is the founder of Tri Training Harder LLP. He’s a British Triathlon Level 3 coach, and has been coaching for over a decade and is involved with mentoring and developing other coaches.
Philip has have coached athletes to European and World AG wins, elite racing, many Kona qualifications, IRONMAN podiums and AG wins.
Alongside the conventional development through many CPD courses, he has also been fortunate enough to work alongside experts in the fields of Physiotherapy, Strength and Conditioning, Nutrition, Psychology, Biomechanics, Sports Medicine. Putting this knowledge into practice he has worked with thousands of athletes to various degrees, from training camps in Portugal and around Europe, clinics in the UK and online coaching.
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